Once a year, the National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card, and that card becomes the rulebook for the next twelve months. If you have only ever played with house rules or by memory, the printed card can look intimidating. It is not. Think of it as a menu of winning hands, organised so you can find one that fits the tiles in your hand.

What the card actually is

The card is a table of valid hands, grouped by category. Each row shows a hand pattern, the conditions that apply, and its value. On our Rules page you can browse the full 2026 card by category. The categories for this year include 2026, 2468, Any Like Numbers, Quints, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds-Dragons, 369, and Singles & Pairs.

The two letters that matter most: X and C

Every hand is marked with either an X or a C.

X means the hand may be completed with an exposure — you are allowed to call (pon, chi, or kan) and reveal melds on the table. This makes X hands more flexible and a little easier to complete, because you are not relying solely on what you draw.

C means the hand must be won concealed — all of your melds stay hidden, and you may not call tiles from other players. Concealed hands are harder, which is why their values tend to be higher.

One note worth memorising

NOTE: WHITE DRAGON IS USED AS ZERO "0". IT MAY BE USED WITH ANY SUIT. That is why you will see patterns built around 000 and 2026 in the 2026 category — the blank white dragon stands in for the zero, and it pairs with any suit. Keep that single rule in mind and a whole family of hands suddenly makes sense.

How to choose a hand

You do not pick a hand and then hunt for its tiles. You look at what you were dealt, and you let the tiles point you toward a category.

  • Start loose. Early in the game, aim at two or three possible hands and keep your options open.
  • Watch the discards. If the tiles you need are already gone from the wall, pivot to a hand that uses what is left.
  • Mind the deadline. As the wall shrinks, commit to the hand with the clearest path — often the one with the fewest rare tiles.

The card is a companion, not a test. Keep it open beside you, glance at a category when you are stuck, and let the game teach you the rest. By the time the next card arrives, this one will feel like second nature.